Fenris was filled with mixed emotions after hearing what the woman said. There was confusion and a bit of hope. After years of searching for Luna, he was now standing right in front of her mother. Maybe he could finally get some answers about where she might be.


    "What do you mean you think she''s your daughter? You should be certain of it, right?" Fenris asked.


    The woman looked left and right, as though scanning for eavesdroppers. "There are too many people here. We should go somewhere more private," the woman said.


    She began walking away, and Fenris followed but suddenly stopped.


    What if this is a trap? he thought. She could be leading me to a place with fewer people so there won''t be any casualties. She could be a hunter in disguise as a helpless woman.


    Life as prey had made Fenris deeply paranoid. To be fair, it wasn’t outside the realm of possibility that this woman was a hunter, but it didn’t matter. He wasn’t about to give up the only hope he had of finding Luna.


    If the woman turned out to be a hunter, Fenris would just deal with her.


    He pushed his doubt aside and followed the woman into a small house.


    "You can have a seat. Would you like anything to eat?" the woman asked.


    "No, just tell me what you know about your daughter," Fenris replied in a stern tone.


    "Very well, but you''ll still need to sit down. I have a question for you as well," the woman said.


    Fenris stood for a moment, hesitating, but then decided to sit down on a dining chair. The woman sat across from him.


    "Well, I suppose I should introduce myself. I am Rosa. May I know your name?" Rosa asked.


    There was a brief silence.


    "Fenris. Now that the introductions are over, mind telling me more about your daughter?" Fenris asked, his tone quite rude.


    "As I implied earlier, I only think she''s my daughter. I''m not sure this ''Luna'' you’ve described is her," Rosa answered.


    "What makes you say that?" Fenris asked.


    "Well, for one, my daughter''s name is Andrea. The only reason I think the girl you described might be her is that your descriptions match her appearance," Rosa explained. She let out a deep sigh. "I suppose I should start from the beginning.


    "My daughter and I lived simple lives. Her father died when she was very young, so I doubt she remembers him. At the age of ten, she developed the ability to perform magic. I was ecstatic about this. I''m sure I don''t need to tell you why," Rosa said.


    Fenris understood. In this world, there were two kinds of magic: Blessed Ones and Faiths. Blessed Ones were individuals born with the ability to perform magic, and the number of spells they could learn was infinite. Faiths, however, belonged to religious groups that served a god. They had to rise in rank to be granted magic, and even then, the number of spells they were given was limited by the domain of the god they worshiped.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    For instance, a Faith who worshiped a fire god like Pyros would only have access to fire-based spells. Thus, being a Blessed One was considered far more favorable. The problem was that Blessed Ones were rare—so rare that only about ten percent of all mages in the world were Blessed Ones. As such, being one guaranteed a good life, as kings, nobles, and other powerful figures sought their talents.


    "Something tells me this story doesn’t have a happy ending," Fenris said.


    "It doesn’t," Rosa said.


    "Over time, I began to notice changes in my daughter, and I’m not referring to the usual changes that happen as children grow. Her behavior became… different. For one, she developed a fascination with the moon—specifically its crescent stage. She would draw it everywhere: on paper, walls, floors, and even tables.


    "It got so bad that I had to scold her repeatedly. Eventually, the behavior subsided," Rosa said.


    "I wanted to tell the town about her being a Blessed One, but she begged me not to, saying she’d be taken away. She didn’t want to leave me behind. In a way, it made sense. If someone heard about her abilities, a noble could come and offer to train her, which would mean she’d have to leave. Still, it struck me as odd that she thought of this at such a young age."


    "As the years went by, other strange things happened. Her hair started showing shades of purple. When I asked her about it, she claimed it was bad hair dye, but I couldn’t smell any chemicals on her hair.


    "She stopped enjoying her favorite foods, didn’t go out with her friends, and abandoned activities she once loved. Even the way she spoke changed—her accent became foreign. Over time, I felt like I was living with a stranger who only looked like my daughter," Rosa said, her tone a mixture of sadness and fear.


    "When she turned sixteen, she left home. I tried convincing her to stay, but she refused, saying there was nothing for her in this town. That hurt… a lot. Her own mother was standing right there, yet she said those words. I asked her to at least write to me, and she promised she would try."


    Rosa looked down, her voice breaking. "It’s been six years since then, and I haven’t heard a word from her."


    Fenris listened to every word Rosa said. He had always wondered about Luna’s past, and this revelation was shocking. To learn her given name wasn’t even Luna… it was unexpected. He’d assumed she had been abused or mistreated, which was why she never spoke about her past. But if what Rosa was saying was true, that wasn’t the case at all.


    Maybe Rosa was lying. After all, why would Luna leave if her life wasn’t terrible? But then again, Luna had left him even when things seemed good between them. Or had that just been his perspective?


    "I’ve told you my story. Now it’s your turn. Tell me, how did you meet her?" Rosa asked.


    Fenris could have refused, but seeing the sadness in Rosa’s eyes made his heart ache. She only wanted any information she could get about her daughter.


    "Five years ago, she saved my life in more ways than one. We traveled together for a while, but one day, she disappeared, leaving me with only a letter. I’ve spent the last two years trying to find her, and eventually, that led me here. I was hoping she might have returned, or that someone here could tell me where she went," Fenris said.


    "I’m sorry, but I have no idea where she is. I’m sorry about how she left you. I should have raised her better. But her leaving like that… it does sound like Andrea," Rosa said, her sadness deepening.


    There was silence between them for a moment. Fenris didn’t know what to say. He had learned about Luna’s past but still had no idea where she was. He had failed.


    "I should be on my way," Fenris said, rising from his seat.


    "Wait. Would you tell me about your travels with Andrea, please?" Rosa asked.


    Fenris hesitated. The resemblance between the two women made it impossible for him to refuse.


    "Alright," Fenris said, sitting back down. He began thinking of ways to alter the details of his stories. He couldn’t exactly tell her he was a werewolf—that would surely send her running. So, he decided he would leave out certain truths.